preverb

P3R1E1V4E1R1B3

noun

A separable verb prefix or a particle that precedes a verb.

OriginEnglish verb ← Middle English pre- ← Latin prae- →
Scrabble 14
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Meanings

nounpreverb (plural preverbs)

plural preverbs

  1. grammarA separable verb prefix or a particle that precedes a verb.
  2. grammarAny of a class of words in the Chinese language whose function is analogous to the cases, prepositions, and postpositions of other languages.
  3. grammarA verbal prefix in the Algonquin languages whose function is analogous to the adjective of other languages.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*preh₂-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*préh₂i?
  4. Proto-Italic*prai
  5. Proto-Italic*prai-
  6. Latinprae-
  7. Middle Englishpre-
  8. Englishpre-
  9. Englishverb
  10. Englishpreverb

From pre- + verb.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan preverbi
  • preverbiverbal prefix
Chinese Mandarin 动介词
  • 动介词 (dòng jiècí)word class
French préverbe
  • préverbeverbal prefix
German Präverb
  • Präverbword class
Hungarian igekötő, igekötő
  • igekötőword class
  • igekötőverbal prefix
Italian preverbo, preverbo
  • preverboword class
  • preverboverbal prefix
Polish prefiksoid, przedrostek czasownikowy
  • prefiksoidword class
  • przedrostek czasownikowyword class
  • prefiksoidverbal prefix
  • przedrostek czasownikowyverbal prefix
Portuguese pré-verbo
  • pré-verboverbal prefix
Russian преве́рб
  • преве́рб (prevérb)word class
Spanish preverbo
  • preverboword class
Welsh rhagferf
  • rhagferfword class

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

perverb
Cite this entry
APA

preverb. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preverb

MLA

“preverb.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preverb. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “preverb,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preverb.

Source: preverb on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.